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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346473

Research Project: National Animal Germplasm Program

Location: Agricultural Genetic Resources Preservation Research

Title: The effects of gelatin supplementation prior to cooling on ram semen quality and fertility.

Author
item BANDEIRA, ANDERSON - Universidade Federal De Sergipe
item MATOS, JOSE - Universidade Federal De Sergipe
item MARIA, ALEXANDRE - Embrapa
item CARNEIRO, PAULO - Embrapa
item Purdy, Phil
item AZEVEDO, HYMERSON - Embrapa

Submitted to: Animal Reproduction(Colégio Brasileiro de Reprodução Animal?)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/9/2018
Publication Date: 1/20/2018
Citation: Bandeira, A.M., Matos, J.E., Maria, A.N., Carneiro, P.C., Purdy, P.H., Azevedo, H.C. 2018. The effects of gelatin supplementation prior to cooling on ram semen quality and fertility.. Animal Reproduction(Colégio Brasileiro de Reprodução Animal?). 15(1):23-28. 10.21451/1984-3143-AR2017-0021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21451/1984-3143-AR2017-0021

Interpretive Summary: Gelatin has been used in extenders to preserve the sperm quality and improve results of cervical artificial insemination with cooled semen but its actions and the resulting fertility are not conclusive. Consequently, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gelatin supplementation in cooling extender on the quality and fertility of cooled liquid ram semen that was stored up to 72 hours prior to insemination. Although gelatin maintained the pH of stored samples, it had no effect on the sperm motility or membrane integrity and it did not affect the pregnancy rate. We conclude that gelatin is effective in maintaining the quality of the semen extender but any potential benefits to sperm quality or fertility were not apparent.

Technical Abstract: The physical and chemical characteristics of gelatin have been used to justify its inclusion in extenders to preserve the sperm quality and improve results of cervical artificial insemination with cooled semen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of gelatin supplementation in cooling extender on the quality and fertility of ram semen stored at 5°C. Semen samples (n = 24) of Santa Inês rams (n = 6) were diluted in Glycine-Yolk-Milk extender without (control) or with 1.5% of gelatin. The samples were loaded into 0.25 mL straws, cooled to 5 °C and stored vertically for 48 and 72 hours. Sample quality was evaluated using straw homogeneity tests (pH, osmolality and proportion of spermatozoa in both upper and lower segment of straw), analyses of sperm motility, plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, and by fertility from artificial insemination. The differences between the straw segments for pH and proportion of spermatozoa were lower in the group treated with gelatin at both times. Storage in gelatin had no effect on the sperm kinetics analyses or on the sperm membrane integrity evaluations. The addition of gelatin to the extender did not affect the pregnancy rate. We conclude that gelatin is effective in maintaining the physical and chemical homogeneity of the semen samples but any potential benefits to sperm physiology or fertility were not apparent.